WOODSTOCK, Ill. — The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has been awarded a $90,000 grant from Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust. The grant will fund an effort to develop the local, sustainable food system in McHenry County. With the grant, TLC will work to promote land access, sustainable practices on existing farms and increased local support for food farms.
“All living things need three things to live: air, water and food,” said Lisa Haderlein, TLC executive director. “All three are linked to healthy land, and therefore all three are connected to the work of local land trusts that preserve land and keep it healthy for the benefit of all living beings – people included. For that reason, TLC has a strong interest in preserving farmland and farming in McHenry County.”
Working farms are an essential part of McHenry County’s rural landscape. In addition to providing fresh food to local and regional markets, farms provide wildlife habitat, buffer important bodies of water, and contribute to the overall scenic and rural character that helps define a community. Protecting farms safeguards natural resources and prime agricultural soils, and also helps support the local economy by maintaining a viable agricultural base.
Over the 15-month grant period, TLC will work to develop and strengthen the local food system in McHenry County by promoting land access to improve conditions for food farming operations, advocating for local regulatory changes to address challenges to local food farming and creating opportunities for local farmers to connect with each other.
“We are excited about the opportunity, through this generous grant, to expand on the work that TLC has already done in the areas of sustainable agriculture and promoting local food options,” said Haderlein. “There is growing community awareness and support around the issue of local food—we want to bring people, businesses and local food farmers together to create a strong, sustainable food system for the people of McHenry County.” TLC will share the results of this program with other land trusts in Illinois and encourage them to take similar action.
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is a member-based private nonprofit dedicated to preserving natural, scenic and agricultural land.
— The Land Conservancy of McHenry County
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